Green Heron (Butorides virescens)

The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a small, elusive heron species known for its striking greenish-black cap and back, often found in the wetlands of Montreal. This shy bird primarily feeds on fish and frogs and migrates to Mexico during the winter months.

🇫🇷	Héron vert
🇩🇪	Grünreiher
🇲🇽	Garcita verdosa

Taxonomy

Order	Pelecaniformes
Family	Ardeidae

ID and Whereabouts

A distinguishing feature of the Green Heron is its greenish-black cap and back. The neck and sides exhibit a rich red-brown hue.

After an extensive search, I finally observed a Green Heron at a pond located at the northern tip of the Island of Montreal.

Location	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Winter
Parc de la Frayère	-	x	-	-
Parc des Rapides	-	x	x	-

"x" indicates the species was observed, while "-" indicates no observation. Lack of observation doesn't necessarily imply that the species is absent. Data is derived from our park visit journals.

Characteristics

Length	41-46cm
Weight	240g
Wingspan	64-68cm
Clutch Size	2-6 eggs
Incubation	19-21 days
Fledging	16-17 days
Sexual Maturity	1 year

Explore More

📖 For more information about this species: Wikipedia Page